The auction starts and I'm standing next to the pillar. I don't know where he is but all I see is Leah. Giving a speech, perhaps? I don't know, this is not my field. I adore her work, but her personality is a bit shitty. What could be worse? I saw Ayden's fling, the one that he fucked on my first day of work. Yeah, that could be worse. As a girlfriend, meeting his flings or exes are a bit shitty. Oh god, she saw me, even waved at me and walked closer to me with a big smile.
She's hot! No doubt. But don't come closer, lady!
"Hi! Ayden's pretty little angle!" She greeted me happily, even hugged me and kissed me on both of my cheeks. What the hell is happening? Ayden's fling is hugging me. She's hot, tall, smells good and everything about her looks is perfect. She looked at me with a smile before her face slowly stiffened. She gasped.
"You saw my photos, didn't you?" she asked, frowning, and looking around. "Why did he bring his girlfriend here though. I mean, are you okay? I swear, we just work with each other." she said, cupping my face with a frown.
I don't understand the situation right now. But if she worried that I saw her photos, then she shouldn't. I saw worse on my very first day of work.
"Umm...I'm fine?" I said, and she giggled. Why? Why did you laugh?
"So this is what he meant. I see. You are pretty!" she hugged me all of sudden, I swear I don't understand. "Ah, I got to go, my boyfriend waiting for me. Bye. I hope we can catch up later!" She said, giving me kisses again, on both of my cheeks and walked away like a ghost.
What just happened? Did I saw two of his flings in one day? One looked at me like I'm a rat and another one looked at me like that. And hold on a minute. She had a boyfriend? But I swear I saw her and him...just a few months ago...Huh? I'm confused.
"Hey…" I turned my head, hoping it was not one of his flings, again. But it's not, it's someone familiar, and I remember the toddler's face. The one that stole my ice cream at the lavender farm. She smiled at me, holding her daughter's hand and sending a tiny wave. Small hands! Cute!!
"Hi!" I can't believe my voice is getting higher. "Hey, baby," I said to her and she looked at me with a frown.
"Princess!" she pointed and spread her arms forward. She remembers me! She was saying something, but I can't understand her babble so I looked at her mother, not understanding what she wanted. She still has a cute speech.
"She wants you to hold her." her mother said.
"Ah...Okay. May I?" Her mother nodded and I slowly and carefully try to hold her, she is a bit heavy but not that bad. And she clung her small hands around my neck. Oh MY GOD! I could die, her tiny little hands are around my neck!
"Hi, what's your name?" I asked her, calm, even though my inner self already dying. Ah, she is so cute!
"Yannah!" she said proudly.
"She means Hannah." Her mom said. Yannah? Haha, cutie! I laughed.
"Want to see that!" she pointed to somewhere so I looked around. Ah, she's pointing to a dog's photograph.
"That dog?"
"Doggy!" she squealed, and I looked at her mother trying to shut her up. And everyone is staring at her. Her mother keeps saying 'sorry' to the audience. I don't see why she needed to do that, but whatever.
"Can I, madam?" I asked politely.
"Call me Lily, sure, and yes, you can. That will be helpful since she keeps whining for a while. I will be right here if you need help. Louis said he wanted to join the auction. I'll be right here if you need me and I'm sorry, miss. She kept pointing everywhere and when she saw you, she wanted to meet you. And sorry if I am disturbing you."
I smiled. "It's fine, Lily. And you can call me Maddie. And it's fine, I love children. Then, we will be right there." I pointed to the display area and started to walk there. Hannah's huge eyes were staring into my soul. Her baby cheeks looked a little rosy, as her hands were cold. I adjusted her jacket and rubbed her back to make sure she's warm.
"Princess, pretty!" she said, hugging me tightly.
"You are prettier." I laughed. She is so cute. And she hid her face on my neck. But soon after she looked at me, poking the wound on my neck. I flinched, it stings a little.
"Hurt?" She looked at me with teary eyes.
"Nope, but can you blow it? It will be gone tomorrow if you did. Like magic." And she did, blowing (spitting a little) directly to my new wound. Then she staring at the wound with a frown.
"Still here," she said, pointing with her small petite finger. I might die due to the cuteness.
"It will be gone tomorrow, baby. Here, doggy." I said, standing right in front of the dog's photograph. It's Siberian huskies, smiling. Remind me of someone who has grey-blue eyes. Silver! I mean silver-eyed. Or is it grey? I don't know, it's just confusing but I'll go with silver.
"Doggies!" she pointed and looked at me, asking for approval or something.
"Yeah, doggies," I repeated after her. And she tapped my shoulder, saying 'down down' and I put her down and she toddled to the next photos. It's one of the fireworks at night.
"Flower?" She looked at me and I crouched down. I looked up and smiled. Flower? Yeah, it does look like a flower.
"Fireworks! That's fireworks."
"Fire?" She shook her hand quickly at me. "Danger!" she brings her hands to her temple of the forehead, making a scared face. Is she trying to close her eyes or something? Haha!
"Firework," I said one by one and she repeated after me, with her inaudible speech.
She pointed at it and shook her hands again.
And she looked around and pointed to an old lady's smiling face. And she ran into my arms and said she was scared. Yeah, if I'm around her age, I would be scared too. This old lady would stare straight into your soul.
She wanted to walk for some more and almost enter the nudity section, but I picked her up and walked to the scenery one.
She soon fell asleep on my shoulder and I just sat on the bench in the middle of the gallery. Susan said they put it in the middle of the gallery so older people who want to come and see the photos could sit and just see them from here.
I gently patted her, looking around at the gallery. Some people are still wandering around, mesmerising the photographs. Most people who are rich, at the auction. Hannah snuck her face on my neck and I could smell her cute scent, the smell of baby powder and lotion. Her shampoo smell like a fruity one, she smells cute. And she is warm. Remind me of someone...an angel.
I smiled faintly and hummed her a lullaby.
"Hi." I looked up at the voice. I smiled. "Who's this baby?" he asked, sitting down next to me.
"Hannah. Remember the child that we met at the lavender farm?" I said half-whispered since she's sleeping.
"Oh, her?" he whispered too, trying to take a peek, but she's snuggling her face to the crook of my neck. "I invited her dad, I didn't know they came."
"They are at the auction. Why are you here?"
"I miss you. I ran away. I was about to run away with you but I think the mission failed since you were already occupied by someone." he said, still trying to peek at her face. "Traitor!" he whispered, squinted his eyes to Hannah. I suppress my laugh.
"She is so cute! She thought fireworks were fire and kept saying it's dangerous and trying to hide her face but her hands were so small and short, she touched her head like this. I think she tried to hide her face. And then she keeps doing this, like no no, it's dangerous." I mimicked Hannah's acts just now and Ayden almost laughed but he held it. "And she is scared of that one. A witch, she said." I pointed at the old lady's photograph and now he's shaking. Biting his lips hard. Suppressing his laughter.
"She fell asleep, I think she got tired by wandering and running around," I added, finished the story. And he looked at me and we fell into each other's gaze. Again.
"You like children?" he asked. And I nodded.
"They are cute, innocent and pure. I feel like I want to protect them. And they make me happy." I said with a smile.
"Do you want one?" he asked again, swept my hair behind. I looked at Hannah, patting her back softly. I smile.
"I want five," I said like it's true. The more the merrier. And he smiled wider.
"Okay, I will put it inside my mind," he said. "Do you want to marry me?" he asked. And I'm speechless. Huh?
"What?" I asked, dumbfoundedly.
"Do you want to marry me?"
Did he ask me? To marry him? For real? I scrunched my nose and squinted my eyes at him.
"That's it?" I asked in disbelief. "That's all, sir?"
"This is not romantic, huh?" he rubbed his neck and laughed lightly.
"Yes, like I want a moment too," I said and he smiled awkwardly.
"I will try my best to set the mood so until then…"
"You do need to try harder. Jade will kill you if he knows about this. He is...my brother, alias dad." I cut him off. He looked at me and laughed nervously. I mean, of course, I would marry myself but that's it? I don't ask for a diamond ring but at least do something more romantic. I need the moment, you know? Like how people on TV do.
"I will, and when I do, no running away," he said, smiling widely. I never run though.
"Maybe, if you do your best." He laughed. I feel insecure, I wonder what he thinks about marrying a person like me.
"I should ask you, do you want to marry a broken, mentally and emotionally unstable, sarcastic woman?"
"I'm more than ready," he said. "Are you?"
"Probably."
I stared at him and pondered. If I'm going to marry him, isn't it best for me to tell him everything? So will he know me better? But what if he is disgusted by the whole story?
"What are you thinking about so deeply?" he asked, snapping me out from my deep thoughts.
I was about to answer him but Hannah squirmed inside me and started to whine. I patted her softly and Ayden was stunned. He looked so panicked now.
"What about work?" I asked him softly, and he glanced at his watch and sighed.
"Still have some more actually." He said sheepishly. "I need to recharge my battery first," he said, leaning his head on my shoulder.
"Do you like the event? Is there any photos that caught your eyes?" he asked, linking his arm around mine.
"I have one, but you didn't give it yet to me." I said, reminding him that he hasn't given 'Rainbow After Tomorrow' to me yet.
"I already asked Kevin to send one home. It's supposed to be there. What about 'Morning'?"
"I think my boyfriend would like it, Mr Winter," I said, teasingly. And he let out a soft chuckle.
"I bet he would!" he said, rubbing my arm softly. "Are you tired?"
"A bit. You?"
"I am, I want to wrap up everything early, but I have so many things to do."
I patted him tight with a smile. He probably didn't see the smile though.
"I didn't know you're famous. I was wondering why did people taking your photos just now when we entered the gallery. Who knows, that Mr Ayden Winter is a famous guy."
He laughed. "Well, all of the fame is just for work. The more people know me, the better. I could expand my carrier even more, who knows, I could be one of the legends. Fame is good for my job, baby. But I have to admit, I'm not comfortable with the interviews and when people take my photo. The flashed are blinding and it's suffocating."
Ayden suddenly stood up and kneel in front of me. He massaged my calves a little, it feels so good since my legs getting tired now.
"I will be right back, okay And we will go home and I will cook dinner. And we will talk about this later okay? I will call her parents to take her, so you can rest in my office."
I nodded. He gave me a grinned, winking at me, which looked so boyish.
"See you soon baby. I will be right back."
"Okay."
And he slowly walked back to his auction area, waving his hands toward me. I waved at him back, this warm feeling keeps growing inside me.
Hannah squirmed a little more, and I patted her back softly, resume my hummed of the lullaby. The one that I made up. I smiled faintly. I missed him. And Hannah reminds me of him. And now I feel uncomplete.